Blueberries? Says I.

Posted on Thu Jan 29th, 2026 @ 5:27pm by Lieutenant Commander S'Von Hill & Ensign Jix

1,359 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Laying the Groundwork
Location: Sickbay

Jix made a point to arrive early - and even then she was twelfth in the gradually lengthening line of personnel awaiting their checkups. Clearly the rest of her crewmates had had the exact same idea as her, only some of them were a little more dedicated to getting the necessary work out of the way first than she was.

Regardless, the Bolian hybrid was in no hurry at all to be seen; sickbay and its adjacent offices were going to be her workplace for the next few years anyway. She settled down in the waiting room and chatted with the rest of her crewmates as the line thinned, slowly but surely, until she heat much eard her name being called at last.

S'von stepped into the waiting area, looking at his padd. "Ensign Jix," he said, looking around the assembled crewmen until his gaze settled on what was clearly the Ensign in question. "You are next. This way, please," he said, gesturing into Sickbay. He led her through the maze of medical staff and patients to a semi-private area with a biobed and gestured for her to climb on.

Jix smoothed over the tunic of her uniform and followed the tall Vulcanoid into sickbay. "I look forward to working here, sir! Rest assured, I am an open book when it comes to my health. Mostly." She flashed a dazzling, pearly white smile as she settled down on the biobed he pointed out to her.

"Please elaborate on the 'mostly,'" he said, activating his tricorder and scanning her while he watched the biobed's monitor.

"I eat a bit more junk food than I'm supposed to. I actually had a burger for breakfast - what do humans call it? A smash burger. Yes. With fries and the most decadent milkshake." The Bolian hybrid with that same pearly white smile, as if declaring that she ate an artery-clogging burger first thing in the morning was the most casual thing in the world. "Don't worry, I make time to burn it all off when I'm not in my office. I also sleep a bit less than I should, but then again my brain buzzes when I sleep and I don't really ever have deep sleep. Which is quite annoying, honestly."

"And I prefer not to be asked if everything inside me is acid." She added with a tilt of her head. Her legs kicked idly as they hung over the lip of the biobed, like she had a bit too much energy. Knowing her lineage she probably did. "Several doctors have told me no. Some exes say I leave them tingling. Whatever the reason, it's funny until it's not. I don't think it particularly matters at any rate."

S'Von raised both eyebrows in shock at the oversharing. He scanned her again, more carefully this time, and made some notes on his virtual padd. "The timing of your meal choices aside," he said, "please make sure you are adhering to Starfleet nutritional guidelines. If you feel they are not adequate for your physiology, we can tailor something more to your needs." He watched her readings. "You are in relatively good health, but youth covers a multitude of sins. Establishing good habits now help down the road." He frowned. "A lack of proper sleep is concerning, but we can see about adjusting your daily routine to assist with that. I would suggest more intense activity whether it be aerobic or otherwise, in order to maintain a balance between your caloric needs and your body's need to expend the energy it creates."

He felt along her neck and looked in her eyes, feeling her pulse and bone structure. "Please come see me in a day or so and we can discuss your needs in more detail, once I have cleared through the more mundane setup work for the crew."

"My doctors at the Academy and on the Byzantine cleared the sleep aspect, sir. The Jem'hadar part of my brain doesn't really switch off in case I need to wake up and defend myself from a gross violation of my personal liberty. At least that's what my father would say." Jix watched him work with a blue-eyed gaze so focused and so intent that, for a moment, one could almost believe she might just spring into action and knock him for six with a burst of energy that befitted the scales on her body. "But I would like better sleep. So I will come see you as requested."

"Am I strange to you, sir?" The question hung in the air, in contrast to the slightly mischievous smile that settled itself on her lips. "Most physicians who see me aren't quite as thorough as you are now being, They scan me, look me over, write notes. But they don't ever stop to check how the bones of my neck connect together or touch my wrist to feel the beating of my heart. So forgive me for noticing, it's a counsellor's bad habit - but I get the sense that something about me piques a little bit more of your interest than usual."

S'Von raised an eyebrow at the question. "Given the negative connotation to that word, I would find the question somewhat offensive," he said. "You are a biological rarity, for sure. The Federation is not exactly overrun with Jem'Hadar-Bolian hybrids. However, everything could be considered 'strange' to someone. There are those who would consider me strange for my personable personality and scintillating sense of humor," he deadpanned.

"However, your previous physicians perhaps did not feel as responsible for your well-being as the Chief Medical Officer of your ship. Your health and well-being are my priority. Our position here will have us encountering multiple life forms carrying who knows what illnesses. I will be need to know everything about your physiology to ensure your continued health, and therefore my exam will be more comprehensive." He didn't speak with anger or irritation. He had the calm cadence of a lecturer answering a student's question. "Any further questions, Ensign?"

The expression on Jix's face seemed to soften a little bit, morphing into something more akin to genuine appreciation than teasing playfulness. "No, sir. No further questions. Not pertaining to my physical health anyway" She replied. "I'm just eager to get to work. Granted, my work isn't going to be the easiest job, but I'm dying to meet everyone already."

"I suppose if I did have a question it'd be about the general mental state of the crew. Our mission is big and with size often comes weight." She added. "But I'll gladly find that out on my own. How are you doing, sir? I ask sincerely as a colleague and a counsellor. You've been under immense load handling the rest of the crew, I'm sure. Especially the uncooperative ones."

"I am handling the workload," he said calmly. "I know it is temporary, and it makes the day pass quickly. I make adequate time for relaxation afterwards as well. Thank you for your concern," he said. He made some final notes and closed the padd, tricorder and deactivated the biobed. "You are set to return to duty, Ensign."

"My duty is here, sir, in the counsellor's office." Jix smiled and pointed at the office behind him as she hopped off the biobed. "Coming in for my checkup is the first thing I'm doing today. Send me the troublesome ones, rest assured I'm more than capable of handling them on my own."

"I admire your confidence," S'von said, inclining his head. "As I said, you are clear for duty. Good day, Ensign."

"Good day to you too, sir. Let's hope we meet again under the right circumstances." Jix grinned and made off for her office.

S'von took a moment to contemplate how doing their jobs was the wrong circumstances, and the corner of his mouth twitched up slightly in a small smile as he watched her go. His normal, stoic expression returned, however, as he turned back to the biobed and had a nurse reset it and prep for the next patient.

 

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